This publication includes digest and history for bills, joint memorials, joint resolutions, concurrent resolutions, initiatives, and substitutes. Engrossed measures may be republished if the amendment makes a substantive change.

Electronic versions of Legislative Digests are available at
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/digests.aspx?year=2015.

Requires the department of ecology to implement a carbon pollution market program for emissions from covered entities by creating and distributing allowances that are tradable regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Requires the interagency coordinating council on health disparities to form a permanent cumulative impacts task force to establish criteria to prioritize the use of grants from the carbon pollution reduction account.

Requires the department of natural resources to implement a working forests and local mills support program to support domestic milling infrastructure.

Creates a working forest conservation easement program to avoid carbon emissions from the conversion of forest land to development and to maintain or enhance the carbon storage benefits of working private forest lands.

Provides a business and occupation tax credit to sawmills and planing mills that are subject to the tax and are registered to participate in the working forests and local mills support program.

Creates the carbon pollution reduction account.

Makes appropriations.

-- 2015 1ST SPECIAL SESSION --

May 13

First reading, referred to Energy, Environment & Telecommunications.

SB 6122

by Senator McAuliffe

Reducing the number of statewide assessments.

Reduces the number of state required assessments to only those assessments required to meet federal mandates.

Eliminates the use of the statewide assessments as a requirement for high school graduation.

Prohibits the legislature from making future changes to the statutes addressing the statewide assessment system except and only if the following occurs: (1) The United States congress changes the federal mandates regarding the assessments that each state must administer; and

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction provides written notice to the governor and the legislature that federal changes have been enacted which necessitate a change to the state statutes governing the required state assessments.